30 PIECES OF SILVER [Judas Iscariot]

[Judas-]

[MATURE | Depictions of violence, blood, depictions of suicide, and religious content are detailed below in this character sheet ;
all religious depictions are fictional and created as an examination of the human condition and not meant to offend]

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B A S I C S

i. N A M E
Judas Iscariot ;

ii. L I N E A G E
You are a master vampire, with no sire.

iii. D A T E S
Born: 1st century to parents unknown ;
Turned: 1st century by Jesus Christ of Nazareth [deceased] ;


iv. H O M E T O W N
Palestine [formerly The Holy Land] ;

v. S T A T U S
Alive ;

vi. S P E C I E S
Vampire ;

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P H Y S I C A L I T I E S

i. H E I G H T
Six foot, zero inches ;

ii. A P P E A R A N C E
Black hair ; red eyes ; Shoulder length wavy, neatly groomed ;
No distinguishing characteristics, unblemished complexion ; Bronze skin ;

iii. V A M P I R E
Extended fangs, voluntary ; Daywalker ; Super healing ; Above average speed, & strength ; Minor telekenisis ; Flight ; Aura Control
Extensive harm will not incapacitate ; Sustains on minimal blood ; Cold to the touch ;

iv. R E S I D E N C E
Brothels ; hotels ; museums

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P E R S O N A L I T Y

i. S K I L L S
Fluent in Aramaic, English, French, Greek;
Artisan: skilled in painting, photography, and carving ;
Charismatic: manipulative and predatory with a hint of self-awareness;
Intelligent: well-read, particularly on history and philosophy ; PhDs obtained under pseudonyms: social anthropology, behavioral biology, human resource management, public relations, creative writing, theatre studies, world history, clinical psychology [mostly outdated]

ii. S T R E N G T H S
Loyal: slow to befriend, but exhibits intense bonding and protectiveness ;
Well-mannered: displays extreme politeness in all circumstances, aristocratic approach to social engagement ;
Detail-oriented: pays close attention to minor matters, focuses intensely upon given tasks ;
Ambitious: eager to prove himself, willing to go to great lengths ;

iii. W E A K N E S S E S
Short-tempered: quick to action without thought when angered ;
Mercurial: often switches moods without warning or trigger, often violently ;
Arrogant: believes himself better than most of those around him ;
Uncompassionate: devoid of feeling and empathy for others ;

iv. V I O L E N C E
was thirty pieces of silver worth your soul?

[Judas-]

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i n T H E b e g i n n i n g

"With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out."

"Acts 1:18" ; King James Bible;

i. e n d O F d a y s
The body hangs limply from the noose, swaying in the shade of the tree.

ii. l a z a r u s R I S E S
Jesus, son of Joseph, now annoited as the Lamb of God, stands in a field. His gaze is cooly impassive as he watches the corpse of his apostle dangle in front of him. He feels a faint tug of sorrow in his heart, but He has been elevated beyond such base emotions. They exist only as a memory, their spark sputtering in the dark corners of His mind. He knows this is wrong. He has been brought to save this world, to bring forth compassion and empathy. But as a vulture lands to perch on the slowly rotting body to peck at its flesh, he can not help but to also feel a sense of righteousness.

He tips his head and closes his eyes, shutting out the distractions. His divine senses push outward, searching. He feels the thrum. Not of a living heartbeat, but of the final throes of the soul. Judas' soul has not yet left its physical shell. He does not question the ability to know this thing. It simply is. As surely as He was born to bleed, so does He know the souls of man. In days to come, the people of this world will call Him the Son of Man and He feels a flickering of approval. Born of both flesh and divinity, it is only right for His domain to be both.

"I am sorry," He says. He feels the soul push back against the apology. This does not affect His decision.

The body before Him must serve another purpose now. Judas had sought an easy exit for his sins, but penitince would not come so easily. Instead he must stand as an example for all mankind. Something to fear, forever lurking in the cold dark. Jesus, the Only Begotton Son, steps forward and clutches the cool, damp rotting cheek of the corpse.

"You were so beautiful," He whispers. A tear escapes, rolling over His cheek. "I love you."

In the layer beneath this world, He feels a tremor. Judas' soul attempting to escape, straining against the constraints his divine captor has placed. Jesus, King of Kings, swallows dryly. Something in Him beats. Remorse? Pity? It matters not. He takes these emotions away from Himself, as easily as flipping a light switch. They have no place here. He does not notice the teardrop evaporating.

Power pulses from His hand, brilliant light exploding forth to blind the area. In but a second, shadows burst from the soil to consume it. By the time the light is gone, so is He.

The body hangs from the noose, swaying in the shade. A moment later, the body jerks.

iii. t h e W A G E S o f S I N
Judas twists in the noose, limbs flailing. He tries to scream, but his throat is raw and hoarse. Only a choked sob escapes. Consciousness follows instinct and he grasps the rope, tugging on it. To his surprise, the branch it is knotted to - a thick, lively extension - breaks from the tree. Judas drops to the ground with a thud on his knees, clawing at the rope.

Surprise and fear are evident in his expression, but there is no one nearby to see it. He glances wildly at his environment, trying to piece together what could have happened. The last thing he remembered was dropping off the side of the branch and a thick, coarse rope digging into his throat. He should be dead. He should be dead. He reaches out to examine his hands, turning them over, and flinches with surprise. The movement had come quicker than he had expected. His fingers flex, his toes wiggle. Finding his bodily functions still under his control, he draws in a calming breath.

And then realizes he had not been breathing until that exact thought. Panic floods him and he rushes forward from beneath the tree. He screams. All-consuming pain, a fire beyond burning, engulfs him as he exits the shade. He staggers back, collapsing into the paltry shade the tree offers. His eyes grow wide, wild with fear. He calms only when the pain subsides, looking down to his arm to see burns across his flesh. Smoke billows from his limbs, but even as he watches, the flesh is knitting itself back together.

He tries to call out again, but once more finds his throat horse. He reaches for it, rubbing and expecting to find scars of strangulation. To his surprise, there are none. Judas wonders at this, having attributed the dryness of his throat to the hanging in those initial seconds. Now, as he pauses to consider, a new realization comes.

He is thirsty.

Another beat later, he doubles over as pain lances through his abdomen. He scrambles to all fours, heaving. The contents of his stomach empty themselves onto the dry earth, no longer enough to sustain him.